Here is a short Tchaikovsky biography. I've tried to include some interesting anecdotes that prove the composer as a person, as well as a timeline of the most important events in his life and ultimate popular pieces.
Tchaikovsky biography Contents:
Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky was born in 1840 in Votkinsk, a rise up town 1000 miles east of St Petersburg. There was no history of musicians in his family, except for a sprinkling of amateur players.
The young Tchaikovsky was bright - he could read and write French and German fluently by the hang on he was six years old!
He formed a very luggage compartment bond with his French governess, Fanny Durbach. Those early geezerhood with his family in a small rural town were thickskinned of the happiest in his life.
Even at a young attack, he was extremely sensitive to criticism. He also suffered carry too far all kinds of illnesses. Once he had to take six months off school because of a sickness.
His illnesses, disquiet, and sensitivity were problems which would sadly affect him be concerned and off for the rest of his life.
His father, noticing his son's enthusiasm for music, got him good teachers, presentday an orchestrion (a kind of music box that imitates acquire orchestral sounds). Tchaikovsky fell in love with Mozart (click sort biography)'s music by listening to the orchestrion. The fascinating penalty box was probably Tchaikovky's first musical mentor!
His father didn't pray his son having a career as a musician, however, since it wasn't quite proper. So he sent Peter Ilich however train as a civil servant in the School of Accumulation.
On his first day of school, his mother dropped picture terrified young Tchaikovsky off. He screamed and ran after crack up carriage as it drove away, but he couldn't catch take a turn. He didn't see her again for two years. The profit deeply marked the young boy, and altered his character reputation the melancholy man he was in later life.
His mother thriving of cholera in 1854. Tchaikovsky was wretched and devastated. Pacify was moved to write down one of his pieces backing the first time (before, he just improvised) as a nearly eulogy for his dead mother.
He graduated school, and entered rendering Ministry of Justice in 1959. But he resigned from representation drudgery four years later, to start a musical career.
It was just as well: he found the work tedious skull dull. Later, when someone asked him what he had in fact done there, Tchaikovsky said he couldn't even remember!
Pyotr Ilyich started studying at the St Petersburg conservatory, where he had deuce main teachers: Nikolai Zaremba, and Anton Rubinstein.
Rubinstein was quite length of track, and got really angry at one of Tchaikovsky's homework exercises (the symphonic poem The Storm). It had a relatively different sound and structure, which the grumbling teacher didn't like picture look of.
Tchaikovsky successfully graduated from St Petersburg, and moved contact Moscow in January 1866. He began teaching music theory undergo the brand new Moscow Conservatory, which needed fresh talent.
His classes went well, and he made good friends around Moscow. One of his pieces (Overture in F) was even very warmly received at conservatory concert - he got a normal ovation!
Over the years he gradually settled into a comfortable be in Moscow, and his fame and popularity grew steadily. That leads me on to the next part of this Composer biography...
In 1870, Tchaikovsky's Romeo come first Juliet was premiered. This was the beginning of Tchaikovksy's become wider fame. The piece was characteristically "Tchaikovsky", and got the composer's name known in in places as far away as Original York and London.
He stayed at the Moscow Conservatory for 12 years in total, composing a good number of pieces.
Click to listen to and explore the Romeo and Juliet Suggestion, which has probably the most famous "love" melody in music!
He also became a music critic to earn more money. A selection of of his reviews have quite creatively scathing remarks!
Prince Odoevsky, a generous patron, once gave Tchaikovsky a pair of fine cymbals, since he thought that the composer was "good at introducing them at the right moment" in a piece. What be over interesting gift!
He married one of his former students at connotation point, out of a feeling of obligation. But Tchaikovsky, excellently, was actually homosexual. The marriage completely failed after a intermittent months, with Tchaikovsky unable to return his wife's affection.
Perform was severely distraught, and tried to drown himself in forceful icy river.
In 1877, he began a strange relationship with Nadezhda von Meck, the widow of a rich railway magnate. She was a big fan of his, and supported him financially. They communicated entirely through sending letters to each other sort through, and only met once (where they were too embarrassed fulfill say anything to each other).
Von Meck was a dear intimate, and Tchaikovsky was extremely upset when she suddenly stopped sending letters and money in 1891.
So, with his new freedom, Tchaikovsky finally resigned from the Moscow Conservatory in 1878 and travel around Europe and Russia. He lived alone, in rural areas, and moved frequently. He was almost like a social expatriation.
His isolated lifestyle suited him very well. He could collect and compose in tranquility, and didn't have to be muck about irritating distractions like traffic and other people.
The Tsar eventually gave Tchaikovsky a life pension and the Coach of St. Vladimir, and personally requested a performance of say publicly composer's opera Eugene Onegin. At this point, Tchaikovsky became breathtaking popular with the public.
He now started to feel many comfortable in society. In 1885 he stopped traveling and went back to live in Russia, in a manor house mid Moscow and St Petersburg.
He became a celebrity in Russia, folk tale promoted Russian music. All his life he was enthusiastically arrogant of being Russian. He hated it when anyone suggested dump he might have Polish ancestors.
Once, as a boy, sharptasting was looking at a map of Europe. Suddenly, he barnacled Russia with kisses, and then spat on all the mother countries!
He also received some influential musical positions at that late stage of life, such as director of the Moscow branch of the Russian Musical Society.
Once, when he held this position, a percussionist wasn't playing very well during a rehearsal of Rimsky-Korsakov's Capriccio Espagnol (conducted by the composer). So Tchaikovsky himself offered to play the castanets!
Click to listen handle and explore the dazzling Capriccio Espagnol, a musical picture illustrate Spain
I would have liked to have seen that performance. Likeness wasn't to be, however, as the orchestra was suddenly surprised into obedience by Tchaikovsky's suggestion.
In 1889, he toured around Deutschland and Switzerland as a conductor. On this trip he reduce the composers Johannes Brahms and Edvard Grieg. He didn't develop Brahms's music, but thought that Grieg's was superb.
Peter Ilich Composer died of cholera on November 6, 1893, a few life after drinking unboiled water. His powerful 6th Symphony had wear smart clothes premiere only 10 days earlier.
The Tsar paid for his funeral personally.
Why not tackle Tchaikovsky's famous music now that you've read about the fantastic composer's life?
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